Stanford Chiwanga, Quality Editor
THE image of Highlanders players going on strike over unpaid signing-on fees is not merely a stain on the club’s reputation — it is a damning indictment of the leadership that continues to run one of Zimbabwe’s most iconic football institutions like a backyard tuckshop. With only three matches left in the season and the club teetering dangerously close to the relegation zone, this protest speaks volumes. These players are not asking for favours; they are demanding what is contractually and morally owed to them. And the question that must be asked — loudly and repeatedly — is: where has the money gone?
This is not a club scraping the bottom of the barrel. Highlanders has received a staggering US$500 000 from its chief benefactor Wicknell Chivhayo, delivered in two generous tranches of US$250 000. This money is part of a public commitment to inject US$1 million into the club by January next year. In short, Chivhayo has already funded player bonuses, signing-on fees, and infrastructure projects such as the perimeter wall at the Highlanders Clubhouse. He has done what no executive has managed in years — stabilised the club financially and restored hope among fans. This is in addition to support from other sponsors such as Sakunda Holdings and Better Brands. With such financial backing, the club should be thriving — not descending into chaos. So again, where is the money going?
Why are the players — the very foundation of the club’s existence — being treated as an afterthought? Why are they being forced to protest for what is rightfully theirs? These are not performance bonuses or discretionary perks. These are signing-on fees — agreed upon, documented, and long overdue. The silence from the executive is deafening. The lack of transparency is unacceptable.
Chivhayo deserves far more than just applause — he deserves protection from the embarrassment being caused by Highlanders Football Club’s executive. He has lived up to every promise made to the club, beginning with his intervention to clear a crippling debt that saw Highlanders slapped with a FIFA transfer ban. That debt, owed to former coach Baltemar Brito and his assistant Antonio Joao Torres, amounted to US$26 566.45, including interest accrued as of October 2024. This was not a minor administrative hiccup. It was a serious sanction that paralysed Highlanders, preventing them from registering new players both locally and internationally. The club was unable to rebuild after losing key talent. Chivhayo stepped in and paid the debt “without fail,” as he pledged publicly. His actions lifted the ban, restored the club’s ability to compete, and gave Highlanders a lifeline when they were staring into the abyss.
And yet, despite this unprecedented support, players are striking over unpaid signing-on fees. How is this possible? How can a club with such backing fail to honour basic financial obligations to its players? Where is the money going? Why are the players not the priority?
This negligence does not just harm the players; it severely soils the reputation of Chivhayo. He has delivered on his commitment with remarkable transparency and fanfare. The club executive, by failing to use that money to settle basic player welfare, is demonstrating rank incompetence and failing to protect the good name of its chief benefactor. The club has a moral and commercial duty to honour Chivhayo’s efforts by running its affairs with integrity.
The executive must be held accountable. Their leadership has been nothing short of shambolic. They are running a century-old institution like a corner store in a high-density suburb — chaotic, unaccountable, and devoid of strategic leadership. The club is in a relegation battle. They fired Kelvin Kaindu, a coach who has since flourished at Dynamos, knocking Highlanders out of the Chibuku Super Cup and guiding his new team to the final. In his place, they brought in Hendrik de Jongh, whose tenure has yielded no improvement. Worse still, de Jongh allegedly provoked players by telling them they are not good enough for next season — a reckless statement that only inflames tensions in a squad already burdened by financial anxiety.
With contracts nearing expiry, the players are right to fear they will be cast aside without ever receiving the money they are legally owed. This is not leadership. It is sabotage. If the executive had any sense of honour, they would have resigned by now. Instead, they continue to preside over a club in freefall, clinging to power while the institution they claim to serve crumbles around them.
Highlanders is not just a football team. It is a cultural symbol, a source of pride for Matabeleland and Zimbabwe. It deserves better leadership, better management, and above all, better treatment of its players.
The players have spoken. Their protest is not just about money — it is about dignity, respect, and justice.
Now it is time for the fans, sponsors, and stakeholders to demand answers. Where is the money going? Why are the players not the priority? And how long will this once-great club be allowed to suffer under the weight of incompetence?
If Highlanders are to rise again, they must start with accountability. The executive must go. The players must be paid. And the name of Wicknell Chivhayo — a man who has done more for the club than any administrator in recent memory — must be protected, not sullied by the failures of those who cannot lead.
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